BISHOP RICHARD D. HOWELL, JR.
2nd Assistant Presiding Bishop
The call upon his life has always been nurtured in apostolic assemblies, and civic circles, through a Jesus Name lineage that spans almost a century. Bishop Richard Howell. Jr., senior pastor of Shiloh Temple International Ministries (STIM), Minneapolis, Minnesota; Diocesan of the 7th Episcopal Minnesota, Wisconsin, Dakotas District Council, and recently appointed 2nd Assistant Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, carries a well-earned mantle that identifies him as a man of God in both the house of God, and government spaces.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bishop Howell is the product of Minneapolis natives Richard, Sr., and Josephine (Smith) Howell, whose in-laws, and parents respectively, were the founders of then Shiloh Temple Church, in 1931. Rev. Howard, a Methodist preacher turned Apostolic pastor, and Evang Mattie Smith, founded the ministry where Bishop Howell was trained from a young child to serve in the church, as well as the district council, working in about every appropriate capacity both organizations had to offer. Whether he was teaching, preaching, or leading service at his home church, working alongside or sitting in the front row at the district council absorbing the ministries of pioneers such as former P.A.W. presider Bishop Lawrence Brisbin, Michigan, Florida Diocesan Bishop Earl Parchia, Sr., Wisconsin, or MWDDC Diocesan Bishop William Abney, Michigan, Bishop Howell’s passion and energy has been to know more about Jesus for over 60 years.
His educational pursuits mirrored his passion as he was selected by leading clergy in his community to receive a full high school scholarship to Augustana Academy in Canton, South Dakota, where he served as Student Council president and was elected Homecoming King. He received his bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Studies from North Central Bible College, Minneapolis, Minnesota, graduating magna cum laude, and voted to Who’s Who Among American University and College Students, in 1980. He went on to earn a master’s degree in counseling psychology, from St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota, and also holds numerous Doctor of Divinity degrees from various institutions, including St. Thomas College, Jackson, Florida, 2003; Friends’s International Christian University, Merced, California, 2005; Aenon Bible College, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2010, and most recently, the International Association of Apostolic Apologists, Alton, Illinois, 2022.
Bishop Howell has held secular management positions in governmental offices, and also worked with Job Corps in St. Paul, Minnesota, supervising and mentoring young men and women, providing teaching and training in workplace development. During that time, he also traveled extensively, taking groups of young men to countries in Africa, as well as planting churches globally and overseeing global missions’ trips to Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Central America.
He is the author of “Possessors of the Kingdom”, published in 2008; “Faith in Action: The Transformative Power of Trusting God’s Plan”, published in 2016, and the co-author of “The Eden Experience", published in 2019.
In addition to serving as the current president of the Minnesota Council of Churches, Bishop Howell has served on the executive boards of several organizations, including the Minneapolis Urban League, the Rotary Club, and the His Works United Stairstep Foundation, as a leader, pastor, and community representative. He has received numerous honors for his work in education, civil rights, and the department of health and human services. In 2016, Bishop Howell was recognized by the City of Minneapolis in a city-wide resolution for his legacy of service to the Minneapolis. He is the first recipient of the John Lewis Justice Award in the State of Minnesota, for 2020. In 2022, he was appointed to the Mayor’s Search Committee for a new Minneapolis Chief of Police. He is a frequent contact for the Governor’s office, and works closely with the Mayor’s office on civil rights and social issues, including leading thousands of clergy and protestors during the George Floyd murder investigation and trial. In 2023, he was a Black History Month honoree, which aired on the local CBS News affiliate.
A familiar face in Minneapolis media, Bishop Howell is frequently seen on the local news stations as Shiloh Temple International Ministries is the largest Apostolic church in the Twin Cities, and the site of many major events, both solemn and celebratory. Along with his wife, Pastor Bettye Howell, who serves as Co-Pastor and Chief Executive Officer of STIM, their partnership of fifty years, has also produced several initiatives for the city of Minneapolis. Working in finance for 27 years as an investment banker and Vice President of a major financial institution, Pastor Bettye has sparked innovation in the city of Minneapolis by establishing a licensed childcare program, adult day care center, GED preparation center, and a Juvenile Probation program, funded by Hennepin County, in Minneapolis.
Bishop and Pastor Howell have two adult children, Richard, III (Michelle) Howell, and Dr. Andrea (Felix) Langford, and are the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren.